Bathinda, March 31
The Bathinda Zila Parishad (ZP) has been adjudged as the best in the state and awarded an incentive grant of `25 lakh by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India under the Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) for the year 2011-12.

The award is based on the parameters of accountability and efficient and transparent functioning. The amount of `25 lakh has been released by the Ministry to the state government while the state government will transfer it to the Bathinda ZP within 15 days. The amount will be utilised by the ZP for undertaking the development activities within its jurisdiction.

When contacted, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bathinda ZP-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Dr Abhinav Trikha, said it was a matter of honour for the Bathinda ZP that it had been adjudged the best performer in the state. He said after the receipt of `25 lakh, the ZP would chalk out the modalities to spend the same on development works.

The Deputy CEO of the ZP, Rajinder Singh Batra, said earlier, the state government had shortlisted two ZPs of Mansa and Bathinda districts, but later, the name of the Bathinda ZP had been recommended for the award to the union ministry. Before that, a team of the Punjab Rural Development Department from the state headquarters had visited the ZP here to check its works and accounts. The team also examined the ZP’s total records, including accounts of NREGA, Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) and the ZP funds, besides checking the ZP’s sources of income, he added.

Batra said later, the state government submitted its report to the ministry recommending the name of the Bathinda ZP for the award. On this, a team from the Centre arrived here and checked the NREGA and IAY works besides checking the accounts and income generation means of the ZP, he added.

Batra said not only the Bathinda ZP had won the award (incentive grant) due to its best performance, the Gram Panchayat of the Aklian Kalan village of this district had also been adjudged as the best Panchayat and awarded with an incentive grant of `4 lakh by the union ministry.

Bathinda, March 31
Preparations are in place for the selection trial of U-18 cricket players for participating in a training camp of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).

As per the direction from the PCA, the Bathinda District Cricket Association (BDCA) would hold the selection trial at the Police Public School, Police Lines, here on April 1.

Budding cricketers from seven districts, including Ferozepur, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur and Bathinda, would display their cricketing skills to be selected for the 15-day training camp scheduled to commence on May 7, said the honorary general secretary of the BDCA, OD Sharma, who has been appointed convenor for the trial.

The PCA has nominated a selection committee to conduct the trial and to select 15 players.

The panel comprising chairman Arun Wadhawan of Bathinda, members Pradeep Kumar of Faridkot, Pushpinder Singh of Muktsar, Gurpreet Singh of Mansa and convener OD Sharma of Bathinda.

Sharma said preparations for ensuring the success of the trial had been made. 

Bathinda, March 31
Though after much delay, summer has finally set in Bathinda and its adjoining areas as mercury crossed the 35 degrees Celsius mark today.

The maximum temperature recorded today was 35.2 degrees Celsius, as per the Agri-met Department of the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) regional station, Bathinda.

For the first time in this season, mercury touched the 35 degrees mark.

The minimum temperature on Saturday was 15.4 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature on Friday was 34 degrees Celsius while minimum of the day was 15.4 degrees Celsius.

The mercury has been hovering well over 30 degrees Celsius mark for the last seven days in the region.

It may be mentioned that the winter overstayed in the region for about 15 days hampering the timely entry of summer here. Moreover, in the third week of this month when the first signs of summer started becoming palpable with mercury touching 30 degrees mark in the region, western disturbances developed in the Jammu an Kashmir region causing winter to make a re-entry in Bathinda and its nearby places as mercury dipped considerably almost 10 degrees Celsius in a span of merely two days at both minimum and maximum levels.

As per the information from the weather room, mercury is likely to climb in the coming days.

According to the weather forecast made by the Indian Meteorological Department on Saturday, mainly clear sky is likely to be witnessed in the next one to two days in the region.

The maximum temperature may be around 34 degrees Celsius while the minimum may hover around 17 degrees Celsius during the period.

Bathinda, March 31
Justice KC Puri, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, presided over the monthly Lok Adalat held here today.

As many as 380 cases were presented before the Lok Adalat of which 218 cases were solved and compensation amounting to `3,12,38,090 were awarded.

District and sessions judge SK Aggarwal said the labour court was held on last Friday of every month at Bathinda.

He added that the Lok Adalat was meant to settle cases amicably and hassle free. Apart from the criminal cases of serious nature, all other cases are solved at the Lok Adalat. Even those cases, which are not pending with the court, can be brought before it for decision, he added.

Civil judge, senior division, Harinder Kaur Sidhu said a Lok Adalat delivers instant justice. The decision of this court was considered as the decree of a civil court and no appeal could be filed against the Lok Adalat’s decision in any court.

Prominent among those present included additional district and sessions judges Gurbir Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Dilbagh Singh Johal, Lachhman Singh and HS Lekhi besides chief judicial magistrate Harjit Singh Khalsa, additional civil judge, senior division, KK Singla, civil judge, junior division, Karan Garg, special judicial magistrate HL Kumar, civil judge, junior division, GS Sekhon, assistant district attorney RK Sharma and president of the Bar Association Rajan Garg.

Bathinda, March 31
To end the scarcity of potable water and strengthen the irrigation water system in the area, a master plan would be prepared soon, said the Irrigation Minister, Punjab, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, today.

He said for the purpose, the officers concerned had been asked to do the needful at the earliest. He added that before finalising the plan, a detailed study on various aspects would be conducted.

As part of his ‘thanksgiving’ tour to the constituency, Sekhon, who had won from Maur constituency in the last Assembly elections, toured several villages, including Swaitch, Kamaloo, Kotli Khurd, Sandoha and Burj, today. He also heard the problems of the people and assured them that their problems would be resolved soon.

Sekhon said by bringing Badal government to power again, the people had proved that they had voted for the development works done by the Badal government during its previous term. He said the development works would continue as the Badal government wanted to make Punjab the number one state in the country in terms of development.

Sekhon also said the irrigation problems being faced by the farmers in this constituency would be solved on priority basis.

Sekhon also said he would remain available to the people of his constituency at his Maur office two days in a week and would hear their problems and solve the same. He said the overall development of the area would be his top priority.

He said along with solving the problems of drinking water and irrigation water, he would also make sincere efforts to strengthen the infrastructure in the constituency as without proper infrastructure, the area could not make progress in a proper way.

Bathinda, March 31
Punjab Education and Languages Minister Sikendar Singh Maluka on Friday asked the officials to work in Punjabi in all the government offices. He also said there was a need to make sincere efforts for making the mother tongue, Punjabi, flourish in a big way.

Maluka also asked the officials that checking would be done from time to time to ensure the use of Punjabi in the offices.

He said action would be taken against those who will not use Punjabi in the official work as per the government’s instructions.

He was addressing a meeting of the district officers of various government departments after becoming the minister here today.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav, the SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill, the ADC (Development) Dr Abhinav Trikha, Kumar Amit, IAS, and the Bathinda SDM Harjit Singh Kandhola.

The education minister asked the district education officers (DEOs) to prepare reports in connection with the required basic infrastructure in the schools.

He said he would give more emphasis on providing infrastructure to the schools on a priority basis so that the students do not face any inconvenience.

On the occasion, the officers of other departments also gave information to the minister with regard to the ongoing development projects in their departments. 

Bathinda, March 31
The Guru Kashi University organised a seminar on the CNC machines and automation. The seminar was organised with the help of the research and development centre for bicycle and sewing machine, a UNDP/UNIDO assisted the Punjab Government project. Vice-chancellor Dr DS Heera welcomed the delegates and presided over the programme.

Gurjinder Singh, head of the CNC machines and CAD/CAM Training Department, accompanied by Manjinder Singh, gave tips to the students regarding the latest technology in the CNC machines and automation. The experts also discussed the latest trends in the industry and advanced software used in the industry with the students.

They also discussed the training matters. The importance of the CNC knowledge was the main topic discussed with the students.

The experts also explained the enhanced properties as per the market needs to the students. Dr BS Dhaliwal, (Dean, Academics, GKU) and coordinator of the seminar, delivered the vote of thanks to the delegates.

Kovid Sharma, head of the department, mechanical, Navdeep Garg, Yadvinder Pal, Ashvani Garg and Amit Sachdeva (TPO) were also present in the seminar to assist and make the matter more comprehensible to the student.

Dr Dhaliwal assured the students of conducting such seminars even in future.